Stepping into streaming, finally

bondmanp - that's just a filter there. 

This is about cascading Cisco switches. Ethernet goes from the router to the Cisco. The Finisar transceiver goes into the gigabit port on the right. A fiber optical cable is connected to the transceiver and runs (3 meters in my case) to another Cisco switch.

Another Finisar transceiver into that second Cisco switch where the fiber optical cable connects. Then a short ethernet cable out to the streamer. 

My mistake, somehow I muffed the model number:

Finisar FTLX1475D3BTL 10km 1310nm Single Mode.

Have also heard very good about other similar Finisar models (typically used with 1GB limited switches) like this one: Finisar FTLF1318P3BTL 1310nm SFP Transceiver.

Thank you zione. Happy listening!

Have the Wiim Pro in an original tube monoblock system.

Some recent and other important changes. Always ran the WiiM Pro with a 5v external LPS. Changed the out from coax to optical into a RME ADI-2 with a glass toslink cable I had available. Surprising result: 20% improvement in quality.

More recently, I’ve been streaming via layered Cisco network switches from a Verizon fiber optical router to the WiiM. Inexpensive and major improvement using fiber optical cable between the Cisco switches with two inexpensive FS.com transceivers, $18. (Awaiting some Finisar ones to try out arriving soon.)

The sound is the most transparent, best separation and most musical with the absolute best I’ve had in any of my home audio applications over two decades. Never imagined streaming (Qobuz) could be so amazing.

Happy listening!

Hello knock1, was in the same camp as you and thought coax was superior because folks have repeated that over and over. Had been using that glass toslink from the RME ADI-2 to a plasma TV. The cable is pretty old. I don't even recall the year and manufacturer. There are lots of substitutes these days and for a lot less.

Had bought a very good Mogami coax last year just for use with the WiiM Pro. You can imagine my surprise that such a simple cable switch produced such a dramatic improvement. One reason may be I'm in an area with a lot of competing WIFI so the RFI interference is very high. That's my theory anyway. 

Just an add on for those considering or using a fiber optic solution run between switches (Cisco here) to the WiiM Pro.

The Finisar FLTX1474D3BTL (10km 1310 Single Mode) SFP+ is a significant improvement with one added to either end of a three meter fiber optic connection.

So, here it’s Verizon fiber optic router with ethernet out to a Cisco Meraki MS220-8P 8 Port Gigabit Ethernet Network Switch, one Finisar in the gigabyte port to another with fiber optic cable to another Finisar transceiver.

A very short (Blue Jeans) ethernet cable to the WiiM Pro (again run on a 5 volt LPS) and absolutely splendid results to tube monoblock amps.

Significant improvement for little cost: cascaded Cisco Merarki switches(unclaimed), Blue Jeans ethernet cables and Finisar SFPs. Great bang for the buck.